The present invention relates to a film magazine for use mainly for a surveillance camera such as may be used in crime prevention, and more particularly to a pair of light-shielding film cases of similar configuration which accommodate a film supplying spool and a film winding spool, respectively.
In general, a surveillance camera uses a film supplying spool and a film winding spool, that is, a spool on which unexposed film has been wound and an empty spool are loaded on the film supplying side and the film winding side of the camera using light-shielding members.
The light-shielding member may be a pair of light-shielding cases of similar configuration which accommodate a film supplying spool and a film winding spool, respectively. The film cases may be of the same construction as a 135 film cartridge (JIS K7519) or a 70 mm film magazine. Conventional film cases used in a surveillance camera will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
A film supplying light-shielding film case 40 has a film case body 41 and a cover 42 detachably mounted on the film case body 41, and a film winding light-shielding film case 50 includes a film case body 51 and a cover 52 which are similar in configuration to the film case body 41 and the cover 42 of the film supplying light-shielding film 40 and 50, respectively. The spools 43 and 53 have respective square holes 44 and 54 at their center which are engaged wth the film winding shafts 45 and 55 of the camera 61 to run the film 62. A picture is taken with a lens 63 with the film set between a rail surface 64 and a pressure plate 65.
In the camera thus constructed, the film 62, after passing through a light-shielding member 56, is abruptly bent and wound on the spool 53 in the film winding light-shielding film case 50, as a result of which the film 62 is greatly strained. Accordingly, the camera suffers from the difficulties that the winding torque is high, the film is easily scratched or damaged, and the film can be unintentionally exposed to light.
In order to join the film case bodies 41 and 51 and the covers 42 and 52, it is necessary to use some fixing arrangement. Furthermore, in order to mount the light-shielding film cases 40 and 50 on the camera, it is necessary to provide a positioning member on the camera. Moreover, in order to stretch the film tight in the cases, it is necessary to additionally provide a winding member.
An object of this invention is to eliminate the above-described difficulties. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a pair of lightshielding film cases similar in configuration to each other which are simple in construction and which accommodate a respective film supplying spool and a film winding spool.